


baby, the streetlights are calling us

by bebe8s



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris Are Best Friends, Richie Tozier Flirts, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Slow Burn, but the kind without angst bc i am feeling light and fluffy, though richie thinks its only one sided
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22628386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bebe8s/pseuds/bebe8s
Summary: There were a few new faces, but he had been in classes last semester with a good deal of the people. Some of them he didn't know in person, but he recognized from instagram. His eyes landed upon this one boy, sitting on the other side of the room and talking with the people around him.He looked so familiar, but Richie couldn't figure out from where he knew him. While he was looking, he couldn't help but think about how cute the boy was. He was trying to remember his name when Bev leaned over and whispered, "You've got heart eyes already, Tozier.""I think I'm in love with that kid over there," Richie said, nodding his head in the direction of the nameless boy.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 26
Kudos: 60





	1. i get this feeling

**Author's Note:**

> so i am really just about to drop all of my knowledge of tv production things on you guys bc i am a tv production major and i am just describing an actual class i am in this semester (and there is a rotation except it's alphabetical but it puts me with this very cute girl nearly every class period so)
> 
> also! the title & each chapter title comes from the song "streetlights" by boxing at the zoo!

Richie felt his nerves coursing through his body as he opened the door to the comm building. It was the first day of classes, and while he was excited, he was also extremely anxious. Even though it was his second semester, it was still his first year, so he didn't have many friends yet. He worried about who would be in his class and hoped he wouldn't be completely alone. As he walked into Studio B, he was greeted with a very pleasant surprise: a class full of familiar faces. He had at the very least  _ seen  _ most of the people in the class, and he even had a few friends in there, too. Everyone was standing around and talking as they waited for their professor, so Richie made his way over to Bev and Mike.

"Ah! I am so excited you're in this class!" Bev squealed as Richie sat down next to her. The teacher had arranged some desks temporarily in the studio, all angled at a blank white board. Richie wondered if this was how the class was normally set up because he had never seen desks out in the studio before. 

"Dude, this class is stacked. Like, this is a  _ good  _ group of people," Mike said, and Richie really took a moment to look around the room and take in everyone that was there. There were a few new faces, but he had been in classes last semester with a good deal of the people. Some of them he didn't know in person, but he recognized from instagram. His eyes landed upon this one boy, sitting on the other side of the room and talking with the people around him. 

He looked  _ so  _ familiar, but Richie couldn't figure out from where he knew him. While he was looking, he couldn't help but think about how cute the boy was. He was trying to remember his name when Bev leaned over and whispered, "You've got heart eyes already, Tozier."

"I think I'm in love with that kid over there," Richie said, nodding his head in the direction of the nameless boy. 

"Oh, Eddie? He was in our editing class last semester," Mike chimed in, and then it clicked for Richie.

" _ That's  _ how I know him! I knew he looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. He sat at one of the neighboring computers, right? I remember talking to him once or twice, but we never really got to say much because he wasn't close enough for real conversation."

"That's probably better for you, because any extended conversation really ruins your chances at romantic interest," Mike said. Richie rolled his eyes at him and gave him a look before returning his gaze to Eddie. He was still preoccupied with Eddie when he looked over and caught his eyeline. Eddie smiled and waved, and Richie returned the gesture. As soon as Eddie turned away, though, Richie felt a blush creep over his cheeks.

Richie was about to say something to Bev when the professor walked in and greeted everyone. She was a middle aged woman with shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. Richie hadn't seen her around the comm building before, but he had heard good things about her class. 

"Hello, everyone, I'm Professor Dalton. Welcome to multi camera studio production! I hope you all brought your lists of your top five TV shows of all time - I'll be writing them up on the board as I go down the roll. When I get to you, tell us your name, where you're from, what your major is, and then list your TV shows."

She started going down the list, and the students introduced themselves and listed their shows as she went. She stopped after the first show was listed and said, "Also, if you have ever seen even one episode of a show when it's mentioned, raise your hand when it's said. I like to see which shows are popular with my students."

Then she continued down the roll. Richie was only half paying attention to most of them, because he didn't particularly care  _ that  _ much about what everyone else was watching. He also knew he would just feel judgmental if he really listened to what they all liked. Some of them truly liked trash TV. Mike was the first person on the roll that Richie truly cared about, and Richie approved of the shows he listed:  _ Community, Atlanta, Cutthroat Kitchen, Brooklyn Nine Nine _ , and  _ The Good Place _ . Richie zoned back out until he heard Eddie's name.

"Alright, Eddie Kaspbrak?"

"That's me! Um, I'm Eddie, I'm from Derry, Maine, and I'm getting a BS in TV and Film Production. And then as for my top five shows:  _ Schitt's Creek _ ," Eddie paused then, waiting for Professor Dalton to write it up on the board. Richie raised his hand to show he had watched it. Eddie was off to a very strong start, and if he kept listing shows Richie liked, he was definitely going to be in love by the end of this class period.

" _ Glee, _ " Eddie continued, and Richie stifled an appreciative chuckle. " _ The Good Place, _ " Eddie added, continuing with, " _ Bones _ ," and then finishing strong with, "and  _ Killing Eve _ ." Yeah, Richie was head over heels for this guy already. He sits back and waits for the next interesting person, which happens to be Bev. She lists her shows:  _ The End of the F***ing World, New Girl, Haunting of Hill House, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,  _ and  _ Broad City _ . Richie is happy to know he has good taste in friends. He goes back to staring at Eddie as subtly as possible until his name pulls him out of his trance.

"Uh, yeah. I'm Richie. I'm from Springfield, Massachusetts and I'm getting a BA in TV Production. Uh, what's next? Oh yeah, shows. Um, so my top five are  _ Black Mirror _ ,  _ That 70's Show _ ,  _ Schitt's Creek _ ,  _ American Vandal _ , and  _ It's Always Sunny Philadelphia _ ."

There are only a few more names after Richie, so it's not long before the white board is completely covered with various TV shows. The professor then starts going over production connections between the shows, like how some are shot in a studio whereas others are shot in the field, or how some have a live audience and others don't. 

Richie listens with actual interest. He's always been smart; he's the kind of kid that doesn't really have to study to get an A. And he wouldn't study, and he wouldn't really like school all that much, either. But ever since he got to college, he's been finding that he's enjoying school. Sometimes he even  _ wants  _ to study. On more than one occasion, he's been  _ excited  _ to do his homework, which, to be honest, is weird.

The time flies by. As a class, they had moved to the control room to learn about the technical equipment in there, and before he realizes it, they're halfway through the two hour class. Professor Dalton gives them a five minute break to grab a snack or go to the bathroom. 

Bev tells Richie that her and Mike are going to run to the Starbucks right next to the comm building, but Richie declines the invitation. He's already had too much coffee, anyways. His eyes are trained on Eddie, who is sitting in the back corner of the control room and scrolling through his phone. Richie decides to use the time to have their first real, actual conversation.

"Hey, uh, Eddie, right? I'm Richie," Richie says nervously as he plops down next to Eddie.

"Yeah, I know that. We had a class together last semester."

"I'll be honest, I was 100% positive that your name was Eddie, but it seemed weird to walk up and be like 'Hello, I know for a fact your name is Eddie and I am assuming you know my name,' so instead I went with the whole not sure act," Richie jokes, and Eddie smiles. And okay, now Richie is taken aback by just how goddamn cute Eddie looks when he smiles. 

"So, I see you are a fellow fan of  _ Schitt's Creek _ ," Richie says. Eddie grins even wider and says, "Of course I am. It's fucking hilarious. Who's your favorite character?"

"Obviously David. That's the only valid answer."

"Good choice. David and Patrick's relationship literally makes me cry. Like, I started the show for a good laugh, and now I'm crying in my bed because Patrick is talking about his identity as a repressed gay. It hits too close to home, man," Eddie says, and Richie takes note of his subtle comment alluding to him being gay. This technically means that Richie at least has something of a chance.

"I know. Dude, when Patrick was like 'That's the first time I've done that with a man' when David kissed him? I truly died. I had to pause the fucking show so I could scream."

"A-fucking-men. I love them," Eddie says. Then, they fall into a bit of silence. Richie is racking his brain to try to think of other things to say, but he can't. Thankfully, the professor walks back in and resumes class, stopping Richie from having the chance to say something truly stupid.

Pretty soon, it's 4:30 and the class is over. As everyone starts packing up, Professor Dalton says, "On your way out, make sure to grab a copy of the rotation schedule. This is how we know who has what job and when. I randomized the names and gave them numbers, so just look at what your number is and then you can find where you are on a given week."

As Richie heads out the door, he grabs a sheet and starts to look at it. The first thing he sees is that because of the randomization, he and Eddie have ended up with consecutive numbers: Richie is 6 and Eddie is 7. And because of how the jobs fall location-wise, it means they will frequently be in the same room. 

He's standing in the hallway waiting for Bev and Mike while he makes this connection, and his excitement must be evident, because Bev says, "Hey, lover boy, what's got you all smiley?"

Before Richie can answer, Mike says, "Just take a look at the rotation schedule. Richie and Eddie are next to each other."

"Professor Dalton is the ultimate wingwoman," Richie says as they all make their way outside.

"The real challenge, though, is going to be spending that much time with him without saying something insanely stupid," Mike replies, and he earns a laugh from Bev.

"You are sadly very right. I'm going to need to buy a book on how to have a conversation with someone you immediately fell in love with when you are an idiot in real life. Do either of you know of such a book?" Richie asks. Bev and Mike pretend to think for a moment before shaking their heads, and Richie sighs. 

"I talked to him today for less than five minutes but it was the best conversation of my life. We talked about  _ Schitt's Creek _ , and he dropped a very big hint at him being gay, so things are looking good."

"Richie. You cannot seriously think there's a chance he's not gay. One of his top five shows of all time is  _ Glee _ . While a straight man can watch  _ Glee  _ and enjoy it, only a gay man can include it in his top five shows of all time. It's just the rules of homosexuality," Bev says with a shrug.

"She's right. And as bisexuals, you and I could have it in our top ten shows of all time, but not our top five," Mike says to Richie, and Richie has to laugh, because that was so fucking clever.

"Okay, okay. You have a point. Perhaps he is gay," Richie concedes as they arrive at their dorm building. The three of them all live in the same building, though on different floors. They swipe in and head for the elevator, pressing the 4, 7, and 10 buttons. They continue their conversation until the doors open on the fourth floor and Richie steps out, mock-saluting his friends as the doors close behind him.

He turns down the hallway and walks to his dorm room, sliding the key into the lock and twisting while he pushes. His door is weird, and if you don't push at the same time as you're turning your key, the door just won't open.

Inside, he sees Stan seated at his desk, with his calculus textbook open, his calculator on, and his hand moving fast as he solves problems in his notebook. Richie slings his backpack into his own desk chair before climbing onto his bed and sighing.

"Staniel… I'm in love."

Without looking up, Stan says, "Are you, now? Who's the unlucky man or woman?"

"Ha ha, very funny. His name is Eddie. He's in my multi camera production class, and he was in my editing class last semester, though we never really got to talk. It's a shame, too, because he is perfect, and if I don't kiss him soon, I might die."

"So does that mean you're going to make a move?" Stan asks skeptically.

"Of course not, Stanthony. You know my game: I flirt relentlessly for weeks and constantly doubt that he could ever be into me, and then eventually when I'm drunk or high or just feeling confident, I send him a text that says something like, 'lol hope this isn't weird but i really like u and wanna take u out on a date,' and then I get friendzoned and attempt to move on. You've seen this happen plenty of times."

"Nice to see you're sticking to your brand," Stan says. His eyes are still on his notebook, and Richie realizes he's been solving problems during their conversation. Sometimes he forgets that Stan is literally a math  _ genius _ . Now, Richie knows he is  _ also  _ a math genius, but he just doesn't care about that fact and instead focuses his energy on trying to write a funny TV show.

"But my professor is a fucking incredible wingwoman," Richie says, and now Stan looks up with a questioning look on his face. "What does that even mean?" Stan asks.

"I'm glad you asked, Standrew. You see, for this class, we are learning how to use the different equipment in a television studio. So we have been given this rotation schedule that shows who is working what job and when. And to make the schedule, she randomized our names and assigned us numbers, and then just went down each column diagonally and assigned the jobs. And somehow, either she or God or both of them want me and Eddie to end up together, because I'm number 6 and he's number 7. And because the jobs are located in different rooms and are grouped by location, that means almost every class we will be working in the same room. Of course, there will be a few tragic class periods when I move to the next room while Eddie is still in the last room, but then the next class he will move back to the same room, and order will be restored to the universe."

"So this is how you plan on making him love you?" Stan asks.

Richie nods, saying, "Of course. Spending weeks with the Trashmouth is a gift that many don't get to experience. I will be saving all of my best jokes for him, and by the end of the semester, I will have gotten him to fall in love with me. And then we will be boyfriends and I will hold his hand and kiss him and probably also fuck him, but right now I'm really just focused on the hand holding and kissing."

"Interesting. I'd tell you to keep me updated, but I know you will anyways, so I don't really have to say anything."

"Correct! You will be getting updates every Tuesday and Thursday, Flat Stanley."

"Great, I can't wait," Stan says, and it's slightly sarcastic, but Richie knows his best friend, so he knows that Stan actually does care.

"What about you, Mr. Uris? Has anyone caught your eye?"

"Well, there's someone cute in my rhetoric class. He's an English major, but that's all I really know. He sits next to me, though, so hopefully I get more chances to talk to him."

"Now this is exciting. Perhaps we can go on a double date!" Richie exclaims, and Stan grimaces.

"You think I would voluntarily expose someone I like to you for an entire date?"

"Hey, I am funky and fresh. It would be lucky for them to even get to meet me," Richie says defensively, and Stan chuckles.

"I'm not saying it's a definite no, but I would have to really have this guy locked down before I let you talk to him for longer than five minutes."

"I have no choice but to respect that decision. Now, I believe it is time for my 5:00 nap that will inevitably fuck up my sleep schedule beyond repair. I will see you whenever I wake up!" Richie says as he starts to wrap himself up in his blankets. He buries his face in his pillows, but he still hears Stan say he's going to the library to avoid Richie's snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading this!!! i am once again just projecting ok i relate a lot to richie and so here i am.
> 
> please leave some comments and kudos! tell me ur thoughts! it makes me so very happy
> 
> uhh also come hang with me on [tumblr](https://birightsrichie.tumblr.com)!


	2. i must be losing my mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he pulls open the front door to the comm building, he feels like he might explode. He's jittery with excitement over seeing Eddie again, which is stupid considering he barely knows him. But still, he's pretty fucking whipped already. Who can blame him? Eddie is the most attractive human being on this planet. Richie is pretty sure he was put here just to make him swoon. It was working.

Richie decides that Mondays and Wednesdays suck because the whole day he's just thinking about how he isn't seeing Eddie. But Tuesday and Thursdays? Those days fucking rock. So when Richie's alarm goes off Thursday morning, Richie jumps out of bed with far more energy than he normally does in the morning. He's practically bouncing the entire time he gets ready. He even gets some weird looks in the bathroom as he brushes his teeth, but he doesn't care. After he endures his first two classes, he gets to go see Eddie and start laying on the charm.

His excitement for his last class of the day seems to make his first two take even longer. He spends his philosophy class pretending he read the assigned Immanuel Kant readings. He's gotten pretty good at bullshitting, so he's able to raise his hand every now and then and contribute to the discussion. The professor would never guess that he really has no idea what the fuck Immanuel Kant has to say. All he knows is that when he opens his mouth, some random words about freedom and rebellion come out. His professor is nodding enthusiastically, so whatever Richie said must have been good. 

After philosophy, he struggles through his calculus class. Even though he's a TV major, he still has to take a math course to fulfill his distribution requirement. And, unfortunately for Richie, he's really fucking good at math, so he placed pretty high on the placement exam, and now he's stuck in Calc II. Most communications majors get to take easy math courses, but for some reason, Richie is cursed with being smart and forced into an actually intellectually challenging class. The bright side is he can mostly coast through since his brain just  _ gets  _ it. The downside is that there is a shit ton of work for the class and Richie just doesn't ever want to do it. 

But somehow, he survives the day.

As he pulls open the front door to the comm building, he feels like he might explode. He's jittery with excitement over seeing Eddie again, which is stupid considering he barely knows him. But still, he's pretty fucking whipped already. Who can blame him? Eddie is the most attractive human being on this planet. Richie is pretty sure he was put here just to make him swoon. It was working.

They were meeting in the control room today, so Richie made his way into the tiny room with windows for two of the walls. Inside, there were two big TV screens, the upper half of which were split in half to show what was queued and what was actually being played. The lower half of both screens was split into eighths, showing all of the available cameras or graphics to queue up. There was a table in front of the screens with four chairs lined up for the various positions. The switcher was lit up, most likely because it had just been used by the previous class. 

Everyone was scattered in the seats. Bev and Mike were seated along the back wall, so Richie went to join them. He wanted to sit with Eddie, but Eddie wasn't there yet and he felt weird just standing around and waiting. Hopefully, Eddie would sit close to him. If not, only a  _ little  _ part of Richie's soul would die.

Sitting down next to Mike, Richie joined in on their conversation. They were talking about the first project assignment for the class, and how absolutely no one was ready for them to start next week. Richie was only half paying attention. His eyes kept flitting back to the door and watching for Eddie. He was brought out of his own head by Bev's voice.

"Earth to Richie - are you fucking listening to me?" 

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Just waiting to see if Eddie was here yet. But yeah, the project. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You better figure it out. I don't know where on the rotation list she's starting, but  _ someone  _ has to direct first," Mike says. Richie nods in understanding, though he can't really process the words. Before he gets a chance to respond, a glimpse of soft brown hair grabs his attention. Richie turns his head, trying not to be too obvious. His eyes immediately land on Eddie, who has sat himself in one of the chairs at the control desk. Richie hadn't even noticed, but most of the chairs in the class had filled up, including the ones next to him. His heart falls a little at the fact that Eddie couldn't even sit with him if he had wanted to, but at least now he doesn't have to worry about if Eddie even  _ would  _ have chosen to sit next to him. 

He feels so foolish, obsessing over where Eddie is sitting like this. It makes him feel like he's back in middle school or something. He can't help it, though. His crush on Eddie has taken over and, frankly, it is kind of middle school-esque, but in the best way. In the super-genuine-I-just-want-to-hold-your-hand way. 

"God, you are so fucking gay," half-whispers Bev as she lets out a snort. Mike laughs in agreement, and Richie intends to roll his eyes and flip them both off, but instead he just blushes. They're right, really, so there's no point in trying to act like he isn't head over heels already.

Still, he regains his composure enough to crack a joke back to her. He feigns dramatic insult and says, "But Miss Beverly Marsh, that's bi erasure!"

"Yeah, Bev! Come on, that's what we're here to fight. We want  _ representation! _ " Mike adds, hopping on Richie's fake-upset train. Bev just laughs, and she's getting ready to speak again when Professor Dalton walks into the room.

"Alright, guys. Today, we're going to actually try to put on a show. We're just going to start at director number one on the rotation sheet, so that's how you'll find your position. Our TA's, Liz and Jack, will be around to help in both the studio and technical room. I'll be staying in here to help the director with the queues. Calling a show is difficult, and I don't expect any of you to have it mastered yet. You're here to learn."

Everyone shuffles around in their backpacks, searching for their rotation schedule. 

"Oh, fuck. I'm the first director," Mike says, and Richie cringes in solidarity. It's a daunting task to have. 

"Looks like I'm on playback, which I have no idea how to work. Well, off I go!" Bev says before grabbing her bag and heading to the technical room. Richie finds his number in the column and sees his assignment: host. He'll be hosting this fake little talk show they're putting on, which is only a little scary. It's the one position that doesn't matter for them technique wise, but it's the most obvious one if you mess up. He hopes his charisma will transfer onto the screen. 

Richie slips his rotation schedule back into his backpack and makes his way to the studio. He takes his seat behind the news desk and tries to calm his nerves. He has no reason to be nervous; this literally couldn't matter less. But yet, he is. He glances over at Eddie, who's assigned to the teleprompter. He shoots him a playful thumbs up, and Eddie smiles back and returns the gesture. 

Their moment is interrupted by the A2 coming up to mic Richie. They had learned about these mics last class: they're called lavalier microphones, and they're supposed to be inconspicuous. You can still see it clipped onto the shirt of whoever is wearing it, but it's supposed to be less distracting. For the most part, it is. After Richie's hooked up and the wire is hidden, the A2 heads back to the audio room, and Richie is just sitting there aimlessly. He knows he's on camera and that everyone can see him even though they haven't started. He watches as the three people assigned to the cameras move them around and get them into position for filming. The floor manager - Richie thinks this guy's name is Derek - is having a conversation with Jack, the TA assigned to the studio. 

Richie is nervously drumming his hands around when Eddie calls his name. His eyes dart over to the sound, anxious to hear what Eddie has to say.

"They need you to speak a little for a mic check," says Eddie. Richie is slightly disappointed by the mundane news, but he shakes it off and starts talking. Normally, the floor manager is supposed to tell him about sound check, but he guesses it just slipped past Derek since he was in conversation with Liz. 

Richie rambles on about his breakfast and his plans for after class (which are to go back to his dorm and lay in his bed and play Animal Crossing). Eventually, Eddie gives him a thumbs up and Richie stops talking. Instead, he goes back to tapping on the table, drumming out the beat to the Car Seat Headrest song he was listening to before class. 

Eventually, everyone gets set in position and they start the first rehearsal. It is massively disastrous. No one knows what they're doing, so everything is wrong and it's just embarrassing, honestly. But after  _ several  _ more practices, everyone seems to get the hang of it. Richie and Eddie seem to be on the same rhythm, which helps since Eddie has to manually scroll the teleprompter for him. Oddly enough, they are working very closely together even though they aren't actually interacting. 

They end up spending the entire class period working on this one show. There's  _ a lot  _ of problems to fix, and they constantly have to queue back to the start because of random little errors. When the clock hits 4:30, though, Professor Dalton releases them.

"We'll be doing this again next class, but with new positions! And we'll talk more about your first project," Professor Dalton says as everyone packs up and starts filtering out of the classroom. Richie catches up with Bev and Mike outside.

"So, was I the best host you've ever seen?" Richie asks, flashing a big grin at Bev.

"Sure, something like that," Mike replies with a laugh.

"It was kind of intimidating. I had all those lights on me. Even though it's the least important position for this class, I was terrified."

"Yeah, just wait until you're calling the whole show. I thought I was going to pass out. There was  _ so  _ much pressure. Without Dalton's help, I would have just died," Mike says. Richie fears whenever he will have to direct.

"Well, I don't really have any complaints. Playback was pretty chill, considering we had no previous footage to playback and we weren't actually taping the show. I essentially just sat there," Beverly said as a slight brag. 

"Well, lucky you!" Richie says, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"Anyways,  _ how was Eddie _ ?" Mike asks, waggling his eyebrows and shimmying his shoulders to add emphasis to the phrase. Richie rolls his eyes, but he blushes again. 

"He was good. He's great on the teleprompter."

"A love story for the ages: the host and the teleprompter operator," Beverly says. Richie has to laugh at that one because it sounds so ridiculous.

"Well, I am rooting for you two," Mike says genuinely.

"Thanks, Mikey, but I don't know if there's anything to root for yet. We've barely talked."

"Eh, I think there's something there. I bet you guys will be dating before the semester ends," Mike replies. 

"I wouldn't have any objections to that," Richie says back, smiling softly. He pauses for a moment before talking again. "Okay, I know it's not even 5:00 yet, but I haven't eaten since 10:30 this morning and I could kind of go for some dinner. Do you guys wanna grab food at the Nest?"

Both Bev and Mike nod in agreement, and they head over to the campus diner. It's named the Nest because their mascot is the eagle and it's supposed to be clever and funny. No one really cares about the reason, though. It's also not really a diner, since it's not a table service restaurant and they just have various food stations serving different kinds of cuisine. 

They all grab their food from different stations before camping out in a booth in the back corner.

"Okay, so Rich - what is your plan?" Bev asks as she twirls her fork into her spaghetti.

"What do you mean?" Richie asks. He's shoving a chicken tender in his mouth when Bev answers.

"Like, how are you going to win Eddie over?"

"Oh, uh. With some signature Tozier charm, I guess."

"You're gonna need more than that, dude," Mike says, taking a sip from his water.

"Okay, well, I don't fucking know yet. I will probably just try to make him laugh until he accidentally falls in love. If that doesn't work, then I'm screwed, because jokes are all I got."

"That's a pretty solid plan. I see good things in your future," Beverly says. 

And man, Richie really hopes she's right. He doesn't know how he's so infatuated with Eddie already, but he is. His mind is swarming with thoughts of him, and he just wants to spend time learning every little quirk Eddie has. He wants to hold his hand and make him laugh and kiss his forehead and, okay, some other less savory things, too, but that's not the point. He just  _ wants  _ Eddie. So bad. Even though it's so soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bro i am sincerely sorry for how long this update took. i was just not feeling it. i have been in a bit of a creative drought recently, and i've been struggling to write because of it, but i'm trying to force myself out of it since waiting it out kind of sucks.
> 
> anyways! today is thursday which means i have my multi cam production class and i will see the girl i have a crush on because yes i am projecting so hard in this fic.
> 
> thank u for reading! comments really motivate me to write more bc i love knowing what you guys think!


	3. what does it take to be your love lately?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Is this seat taken?" Richie asks, hoping it sounds like a joke and not like he's internally combusting right now. Eddie shakes his head and gestures for Richie to sit down, so he does. Eddie's plate looks like something straight out of a restaurant: he has some scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and a pile of fruit salad. All of the items are neatly separated from the others so that they aren't touching. Frankly, it's adorable. Richie suddenly feels a little insecure over his unhealthy, childish breakfast.

Richie had worked out something of a plan to get Eddie's romantic attention. He was going to be as flirty as he could be without being too obvious. He was going to ask him if he wanted to grab food after class sometime. He was going to slowly inch his way into Eddie's heart. 

The only complication here, though, is that Richie is not the best at flirting. He's a little too awkward. He has a hard time figuring out the balance between too obvious and not obvious enough, so he normally just ends up coming across as friendly. So on Wednesday night, when he's in the student center having dinner with Stan, Mike, and Bev, he asks them for help.

"Can you guys  _ please _ help me learn how to be good at flirting?" Richie begs as he dunks a fry into his ketchup.

"I'm afraid you're a lost cause," Stan answers instantaneously. Richie gives him a pout, but Stan just shrugs it off.

"Rich, you're a funny person. That's like, the best skill to have as a flirter," says Bev. Mike nods in agreement while chewing his mouthful of chicken tender.

"Okay, but I'm also a gangly, awkward idiot, which inhibits my ability to be flirty."

"Eh, just use it to your advantage. Some people like tall weirdos. Perhaps that's Eddie's type," Mike says.

"In what world would I get that lucky?"

"If you learn how to flirt, you could be getting lucky in this world," Stan says blandly over his soup. 

"My God, Stanthony, you sure do know how to burn me."

"Just find the things that you guys have in common, or even just the stuff that Eddie likes, and use that to flirt," Bev suggests. Richie nods as he comprehends Beverly's advice

Richie takes Beverly's advice to heart. He spends the night rewatching  _ The Good Place _ . Eddie had mentioned it as one of his favorite shows on the first day, and Richie figures it's a good starting point. He eventually falls asleep with his laptop open and playing an episode from season two.

* * *

Richie wakes up to a dead laptop and a lost airpod. After plugging in his laptop, he searches his mess of blankets until he finds the dislodged headphone. He puts both of them into the charging case and goes to take a shower. 

It's Thursday, so Richie actually  _ tries  _ today. He used to not care at all, but now he makes sure he is presentable on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He still doesn't care on the other days, though. That's a fundamental Richie Tozier trait, and he refuses to change it. 

After his shower, Richie actually brushes his hair. He knows once it dries it's just going to look like a frizzy, curly mess, but it will look  _ slightly  _ better than if he hadn't brushed it.

He steps through his messy side of the room and pulls open his drawers to find an outfit. He decides on his "Eat. Sleep. Line Dance. Repeat." shirt, hoping it would make Eddie laugh. He pulls that on, along with a pair of black jeans and a hideous frog-print hawaiian shirt.

Richie makes sure that he leaves early enough to stop for a bowl of cereal in the student center. He, obviously, will be treating himself with some Lucky Charms. It's his Thursday cereal - and his cereal schedule is  _ meticulous _ . Mondays he has Reese's Puffs, Tuesdays are for Froot Loops, Wednesdays he chooses the healthier option and has Honey Nut Cheerios, Thursdays mean he's eating Lucky Charms, and on Fridays he doesn't have class, so he typically sleeps through breakfast. 

Once in the student center, he grabs a bowl and fills it up before pouring the milk in. If Stan were here, he would pour the milk first  _ just  _ to drive him nuts, but since Stan is nowhere to be seen, Richie can pour his cereal and milk in the normal order. He grabs a large cup of coffee before heading to check out.

The lady behind the cash register gives him a nice smile as he hands over his swipe card. He wonders if they secretly judge him for his unhealthy eating habits - he always has. He hopes they serve so many students a day that they don't remember him and his sugary breakfasts, or how he gets a vegetable maybe twice a week. 

There's still thirty minutes until his first class, and it's only a five minute walk from the student center, so Richie looks out across the cafeteria to see if he catches any friends. He's barely scanned half the room when he sees Eddie sitting alone. 

Richie weighs his options: he could risk seeming weird and going up to sit with Eddie, or he could choose the coward's way out and avoid him altogether. Ultimately, his soft, gay feelings for Eddie win.

"Is this seat taken?" Richie asks, hoping it sounds like a joke and not like he's internally combusting right now. Eddie shakes his head and gestures for Richie to sit down, so he does. Eddie's plate looks like something straight out of a restaurant: he has some scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and a pile of fruit salad. All of the items are neatly separated from the others so that they aren't touching. Frankly, it's adorable. Richie suddenly feels a little insecure over his unhealthy, childish breakfast.

"Lucky Charms, huh?" Eddie asks, interrupting Richie's inner monologue.

"Oh, yeah. Always. Every single Thursday. It's part of my cereal schedule."

"I'm sorry, your what?"

"My cereal schedule. I eat a different cereal each day of the week. Well, on the days I have class. The other days I typically sleep too late to eat breakfast."

"I simply have to hear this cereal schedule, then."

Richie grins, explaining his order as Eddie nods along and listens intently. 

"Alright, I'm impressed. You've clearly thought it out," Eddie says once Richie finishes his explanation. 

"Of course I have. Cereal is no joke."

"You should probably have something with it, though. Like a protein to hold you over until your next meal. Your body processes carbs faster, making you hungrier sooner."

"I thought you were a TV major, Dr. K," Richie jokes. Eddie blushes a bit, saying, "Yeah, my mom wanted me to be a doctor but it just wasn't my thing. But now I know a weird and random amount of science stuff."

Richie nods, but he's not sure what to say next. He settles for taking a bite of his cereal. Eventually, the silence becomes unbearable for him, so he searches for a new topic.

"So, do you have any classes before multi cam today?" Richie asks. He watches as Eddie sorts through his fruit salad and picks out a big strawberry.

"Uh, yeah. I have screenwriting, but that's it. I have a little break before multi cam where I grab lunch. What about you?"

"I have calculus and philosophy. I have classes straight until 4:30 and I'm always  _ starving _ when it ends."

"You probably wouldn't be  _ starving  _ if you had some protein," Eddie says with a grin. 

"Touché." Richie pauses, trying to think of what to say next. He remembers his  _ The Good Place  _ rewatch last night, and decides that's a good place to pick back up. "Okay, so I've been rewatching  _ The Good Place _ , and I truly forgot how fucking funny it is."

"Right? It's a genius show. I always feel so seen by Chidi, too. Like, I too obsess over everything."

"See, I'm more of an Eleanor. Very relaxed, very disorganized, very hilarious, very bisexual." 

"Is there a reason you picked Chidi's soulmate?" Eddie asks with a playful grin. Richie feels his face heat up. He truly hadn't been thinking about that. He was just thinking about how similar he is to Eleanor. 

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, as it is time for me to leave for class." Richie applauds himself at that smooth response as he gathers his things.

"I will see you later, gamer," Richie says, heading off with a salute in Eddie's direction. As soon as he's left the student center, he pulls out his phone and opens his groupchat with Mike, Bev, and Stan.

**Richie (10:55 AM): anyways, i'm stupid as shit and deserve no rights**

**_staniel the maniel (10:56 AM): Obviously._ **

mike bloomberg (10:56 AM): care to elaborate, rich?

**Richie (10:58 AM): i ran into eddie in the student center and ate breakfast with him**

**Richie (10:58 AM): and i stuck my foot so far in my mouth that it was all i ate**

_ bevvie (10:59 AM): oh my god richie what did u do _

**Richie (10:59 AM): idk i was just myself**

**Richie (11:00 AM): i gtg i have class**

* * *

Richie manages to make it through his first two classes without completely breaking down. He forces himself to pay attention, mainly so he doesn't overthink his morning conversation with Eddie. He still does overthink it a little, but for the most part, he survives.

Then suddenly it's 2:15 and his calculus class ends. He makes his way to the comm building, jittering with nerves. He's scared he's going to turn into a tomato the second he sees Eddie. Luckily, when he gets to class, he finds Eddie isn't there yet. Richie goes to sit next to Bev and Mike in the back row of the control room. 

"Alright, so what exactly did you do?" Mike asks immediately.

"It wasn't bad, I just was my embarrassing self. Like, we were talking about  _ The Good Place _ and he said he sees himself as a Chidi, and then I said I'm more of an Eleanor, and then he asked if I chose the couple on purpose, and I blushed so hard. I tried to be smooth, saying he would have to wait to find out since I had to leave for class, but I'm pretty sure I was completely red."

"Okay, that's not  _ nearly  _ as bad as I thought it was going to be. Your texts made it seem like the absolute worst happened, like you tripped and spilled your cereal all over yourself or something," Bev says. Richie gives her a pointed look that says  _ don't jinx it, Marsh. _

Richie was about to say something else, but stopped when Eddie walked into the room. He didn't need Eddie to overhear him saying how cute he thinks he is.  _ That  _ would be impossible to come back from. Eddie takes the chair next to him, sitting down with a smile.

"Hello, Eleanor," Eddie says with a smile.

"Chidi," Richie says, pretending to tip his imaginary hat.

But before they can get a conversation going, Professor Dalton walks in and starts class. She talks briefly about how the last class went and ways to make it go smoother, but then she tells them they're starting with the rotations today. Some random classmate named Clara had volunteered to go first, so instead of starting at the first name, they're starting in the middle. 

Richie checks the chart and sees he's on audio. Against his better judgment, he checks again to see what Eddie's job is. He is delighted to see that Eddie is his A2. It'll be just the two of them in the audio booth.

Richie walks into the audio booth and plops down in the rolly chair in front of the sound board. He looks at all of the dials and switches, realizing he knows literally  _ nothing _ about what he's supposed to do. He resolves to ask a TA if one comes by. 

Eddie walks in moments later, sitting down next to Richie. Richie throws him a smile as he gets comfortable.

"Alright, soldier. You ready to mess this up?" Richie jokes.

"Oh, definitely. With you on audio, this is bound to be a disaster."

"Glad to know we're already at the point where you can just obliterate me. By the end of today, my self confidence will be at an all time low."

Eddie laughs, and Richie  _ really  _ likes his laugh. Just then, Clara comes in with her laptop and starts to explain the music cues to them. Eddie's in charge of starting the music on the laptop, while Richie makes sure it actually plays in the studio. They patch it through to lines 13 and 14.

"You know, I don't understand at all how this works. Like, to patch it through you're not plugging it into the computer? You just plug one into the lines 13 and 14 slot, and plug the other end into the aux slot," Richie says aimlessly, just trying to fill the silence.

"I guess plugging it into the aux slot hooks it up? I don't know, man, this is also my first time in here."

Jack, one of the TAs, pops his head in and asks, "Are you guys all good in here?"

"Absolutely not. We have no idea what we're doing. Like, zero," Richie answers.

Jack walks up the sound board and looks it over before starting to explain, "Okay, so it's pretty simple. This shows you the decibel level of their voice, and you just have to make sure it is high enough without going into the red. Here's the slider to control the mic volume. Once you get the volume from mic check, you can just turn off the mic so that the volume stays the same. Here's where you control the music volume, so when they ask for it to fade up or fade out, you just raise or lower this switch. That's the main stuff for this class."

Richie and Eddie both nod, and then Jack leaves. Richie and Eddie look at each other, overwhelmed by the quick lesson.

"I know that this job is relatively easy, but I still feel like I'm going to fuck it up," Richie says. Eddie nods in agreement.

"You probably will."

"Alright, so you said you are Chidi, but who is your favorite character?" Richie asks, trying to fill the time with more conversation.

"Hmm… probably Janet. I just think she's hilarious."

"She really is great. She's in my top three characters. But Jason will forever be my favorite. I love how clueless he is, because he's, like, actually really sweet."

"Again with the couples, huh?" Eddie asks. 

"See, now I just think you  _ want  _ me to be saying this because of the couples. I would have said Jason even if you hadn't said Janet."

"Sure, sure."

The AD starts calling the cues, and so both of them turn their attention to the screen. When Richie hears, "Ready the music," he holds up a thumbs up so that they can see he's ready through the window wall into the control room. Clara is getting ready to start her countdown when Eddie starts to scramble.

"Oh my God! The computer's not plugged in yet. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," Eddie is searching for the aux cord, and luckily he finds it and gets it plugged in just in time for Clara's instruction to fade up the music. Once they go through the audio cues to turn on the mics and fade out the music, Eddie and Richie look at each other.

"So, we almost died, huh?" Richie said through a grin. It wasn't his fault, technically, so he wasn't scared. And it meant that Eddie had been so wrapped up in talking to him that he had forgotten to do one of the only small parts of his job.

"That would have been so embarrassing. Thank  _ God  _ I got it hooked up in time, though. Fuck. I swear, my heart is still racing."

The rest of the show goes smoothly. Richie wants to keep talking to Eddie, but he knows he should pay attention to the mic level and make sure all of the audio is going smoothly. They go through a few rehearsals of the show before getting to the one that they record. By the time they're doing the real deal, Richie and Eddie have their audio routine mastered. 

Professor Dalton ends up letting them out of class an hour early. Richie wants to ask Eddie to hang out, but he chickens out at the last moment. He figures he's already embarrassed himself around Eddie enough for one day. He can wait until Tuesday to do that again.

Richie does decide, though, that audio is one of his favorite rotation jobs. Mainly because he gets to sit with Eddie in that room, and since they don't have too much to do, they get to chat. He knows they won't actually be in those positions again for a while, but it's still his favorite.

After class, Richie goes straight back to his dorm and crashes into his bed, deciding to nap. He must have a smile on his face as he enters, though, because Stan is looking at him with an amused look.

"So, good day, huh?" Stan asks.

"Yeah.  _ Great  _ day, even. I got to have breakfast with Eddie, and then we were also both in the same place for our class job rotation. And fuck, Stan. I am literally falling in love with him. Like, I know I'm being dramatic, but also, he's  _ perfect _ . God, I want to kiss him so bad."

"So do it, then. You're the top here, you know it's your job to ask him out."

"Is that a rule? Or are you just pranking me?"

"Eh, both."

Richie waves him off, drifting into a comfortable sleep. He's pretty sure he's got a smile on his face as he curls up and falls asleep, but he doesn't even care. Now he just has to get through the weekend, and then he gets to see Eddie again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BRO i am so sorry about the long wait for this update. this semester is kind of kicking my ass (in a good way, though, cause it's my tv production classes that are taking up so much time and that's just fun for me). HOWEVER i am getting back into my writing routine, so hopefully i will be able to pick up the pace of these updates! i got an idea for another fic to start after this one, so maybe that will push me to write more!
> 
> anyways, thank you to everyone who has been so kind to me during this slump! i truly feel bad about how spotty i've been. like i just stopped even reblogging stuff on tumblr lmao. i've just been strangely busy! but i just sat down and wrote this and now i am vibing again
> 
> i love u guys!!!!!!!!!!!


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